Feb 20-21, 2018
Transformations of Energy Systems: Historical Perspectives on the Anthropocene
- Conference
- Dept. I
- Several Speakers
- Daniel A. Barber
- Andrew Barry
- Dominic Boyer
- Petra Dolata
- Arnulf Grübler
- Manfred Laubichler
- Olivia Judson
- Patrizia Nanz
- Astrid Kander
- Franz Mauelshagen
- Karen Pinkus
- Maria Rentetzi
- Harriet Ritvo
- Jens Soentgen
- Bronislaw Szerszynski
- Helmuth Trischler
- Helga Weisz
Accelerated rates of change in our highly technological societies are directly tied to the unfolding of the Anthropocene crisis. At the core of these developments lies a co-evolutionary nexus of human, technological, biological, and geo-historical processes. The next decades will see dramatic shifts in both technology and economy. Industrial production will make use of new material cycles, forms of labour, modes of global cooperation, and technological innovation, particularly with regard to the supply and consumption of energy.
The future energy system is therefore a critical input for these processes, and will dictate their impact on the Earth system. In this way, energy transformation is central to the Anthropocene. Despite this, historical precedence, as well as the societal and cultural implications of energy and resource transitions, are poorly understood. In order to understand this crucial present situation and the historical pathways leading up to it, in terms of their material complexity and societal impact, new forms of theory, research, and methodology are required.
Speakers are asked to give insight into their respective field of research, their professional experience, and to sketch programmatic outlines of a possible research agenda for what will be a highly interdisciplinary research environment dedicated to theoretically and historically informed study of energy transformations within a expansive framework that also takes the significance and scope of the Anthropocene into consideration.
Organizing Team:
Christoph Rosol, Benjamin Steininger, Thomas Turnbull.
Program:
Tuesday, Feb 20
|
Welcome and Introduction to the Symposium Jürgen Renn, Christoph Rosol, Benjamin Steininger |
|
Session 1 (Chair: Thomas Turnbull) Helga Weisz: Energy Transformations Shift the Boundary Conditions for Society-Nature Coevolution Andrew Barry: Transformations in Energy Systems: An Interdisciplinary Proposal Astrid Kander: Industrial Revolutions, Development Blocks and Energy Transitions during the Anthropocene |
|
Session 2 (Chair: Christoph Rosol) Karen Pinkus: Fuel as Method: Thinking Decarbonized Futures Daniel A. Barber: 'A Not So Utopian Future:’ Architecture and the Analysis of Energy Transitions Bronislaw Szerszynski: Earthing our Energy Systems |
|
Roundtable Discussion: The Anthropocene Challenge to Energy Studies with Petra Dolata, Arnulf Grübler, Olivia Judson, Patrizia Nanz, Harriet Ritvo, Helmuth Trischler Moderation: Jürgen Renn |
Wednesday, Feb 21
|
Session 3 (Chair: Benjamin Steininger) Jens Soentgen: Energy and Empowerment Manfred Laubichler: Extended Co-evolutionary Dynamics of Energy Transformations: The Role of Platforms |
|
Session 4 (Chair: Giulia Rispoli) Dominic Boyer: Energy Humanities in the Petropolis Maria Rentetzi: Understanding the Anthropocene: Nuclear Energy, Science Diplomacy, and International Organizations Franz Mauelshagen: Clio meets Gaia — Revisiting Fossil Freedom |
|
Plenary Discussion (Chair: Jürgen Renn) |
|
Evening Event of the Scientific Council of the MPG with presentations by Jorge Vasconcelos – Technical University of Lisbon Patrizia Nanz – Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam Robert Schlögl – Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion, Mülheim/Ruhr & Fritz Haber Institute of the MPG, Berlin |